Minister Of Agriculture Amran Says Indonesia Is Ready To Advance To Class To Export Olahhan Plantation Products

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman said, Indonesia is ready to move up from the beginning of producing raw materials to processing countries and exporters of high-value plantation products.

This was conveyed at the Regional Development Coordination Meeting (Rakordal) Quarter II of 2025 which was held by the Yogyakarta Special Region Government (DIY), Tuesday, July 29.

"So far, other countries have processed our cocoa and coffee, then exported it with a value of tens of times. Now is the time for Indonesia to lead the downstreaming of our own commodities," said Amran.

According to him, downstreaming is not only a matter of exports, but also creates jobs, builds village industries, and strengthens the local economy.

The central government has also prepared an initial budget of IDR 40 trillion to support the development of commodity processing industries such as coconut, cocoa, mente, and coffee.

He is optimistic that if the processing process is carried out domestically, the value of agricultural exports could increase from IDR 20 trillion to IDR 2,000 trillion. "We stop being an audience. From now on, our superior commodities must be processed by the nation's own children," said Amran.

Amran also highlighted the contribution of the agricultural sector as the highest contributor to national economic growth, reaching 10.52 percent.

For him, the success of maintaining food stocks in the midst of global challenges is proof of the toughness of the Indonesian agricultural sector.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors absorbed 19.41 percent of the workforce in Yogyakarta in 2024, making it the second largest labor absorption sector after trading.

"This figure confirms that agriculture remains the backbone of the regional economy, as well as the foundation of the lives of millions of families in rural areas," he said.

Amran also emphasized the importance of high-tech-based agricultural transformation, ranging from using drones to automated planting machines. He called DIY a national role model in agriculture due to the successful integration of technology, leadership, and cross-sectoral collaboration.